STEAM Training & Mentorship
STEAM supports research and educational activities that complement and enhance the training of underrepresented individuals in the Cancer Biomedical Workforce.
This new NIH-funded program focuses on providing professional career development, mentoring, and networking opportunities for researchers at no cost. STEAM is open to US citizens participating in any cancer-related research at the graduate, post-doc, or junior faculty level from The University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, or Northern Arizona University.
STEAM will include independent and team-based online learning opportunities. The cohort will launch on February 28, 2024, and STEAM network mentoring opportunities will run for 12 months. After the initial 12-month period, trainees will remain members of the STEAM community with continued access to peer mentoring and online learning materials.
Questions? Contact: STEAM@salud.unm.edu
Key Program Features
The STEAM network program partially supports underrepresented scholars and helps them to succeed in biomedical research fields. The STEAM network aims to increase the number of competitive trainees and early-stage investigators who are awarded funding opportunities from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD).
Scholars will have access to:
- travel scholarships,
- training and funding opportunities,
- mentorship,
- annual training summits, and
- professional development webinars.
Who Should Join?
The STEAM program encourages participation from underrepresented minorities who are interested in advancing their careers in cancer-related research by engaging in mentorship, professional development, and training and funding opportunities.
Applicants must:
- be currently enrolled in a pre- or postdoctoral program or professional student program, and
- live in the Southwest region of the US
Please note English is currently the only language of instruction.
Apply to Be a Part of STEAM
About STEAM
Transformative Educational Advancement and Mentoring Network (TEAM)
TEAM is an Integrated Network of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support research and educational activities that complement and/or enhance opportunities for underrepresented groups to advance through the academic pipeline in oncology research.
Website: https://www.cancer.gov/about-nci/organization/crchd/inp/team
Transformative Educational Advancement and Mentoring Network (TEAM) is originally published by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
This presentation provides an overview of the goals in establishing TEAM, including piloting the use of Training Champions (TC) to provide support in navigation of education and career development for the scholars: https://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/joint/0622/Bailey.pdf
STEAM Personnel
University of New Mexico
Dolores D. Guest, PhD, RD
Program Director and UNM PI
dguest@salud.unm.edu
HSC Directory Profile
Shiraz I Mishra, MBBS, PhD
UNM Co-PI
smishra@salud.unm.edu
HSC Directory Profile
Angela Wandinger-Ness, PhD
UNM Co-PI
awandinger-ness@salud.unm.edu
HSC Directory Profile
Martha Martinez Grimes, PhD
UNM Training Champion
mgrimes@salud.unm.edu
HSC Directory Profile
New Mexico State University
NMSU is a Land Grant, Minority and Hispanic Serving Institution; and an R2: Doctoral University – Higher Research Activity by the Carnegie Classification. In the 2019 College Factual Rankings, NMSU ranked in the top 15% of 2,238 colleges and universities analyzed for diversity. The ranking is based on diversity of race, age gender, and geographic origin.
NMSU offers Basic and Health Sciences on Campus including:
- School of Nursing
- Applied and Clinical Health Sciences
- College of Health, Education and Social Transformation
- College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Southwest Institute for Health Disparities Research
- New Mexico Cooperative Extension Service
Gabriela A Unguez, PhD
NMSU site PI
gunguez@nmsu.edu
Michele Shuster, PhD
NMSU site Co-PI
mshuster@nmsu.edu
Ahmed Mohammed
NMSU/BCOM Training Champion
Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
BCOM is a mission-focused osteopathic medical school that is dedicated to improving health in the Southwest United States, addressing physician shortage problems, and increasing workforce diversity. Its URM enrollment in first-year class has ranged from 21% to 32%.
BCOM Campus offers resources and programs including:
- Summer Research Experience
- Longitudinal mentored research opportunities
- Distinction in Research program
- Curriculum that includes training on cancer and health disparities
- Faculty with clinical hematology, oncology and pathology training
- Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- American Society of Clinical Oncology Student Group
Kristin Gosselink, PhD
BCOM site PI
kgosselink@burrell.edu
Northern Arizona University
NAU is a Tribal and Hispanic Minority Serving Institution and a R2: Doctoral Universities – Higher Research Activity in the Carnegie Classification. In the 2019 College Factual Rankings, NAU ranked in the top 15% of 2,238 colleges and universities analyzed for diversity. The ranking is based on diversity of race, age gender, and geographic origin.
NAU offers Basic and Health Sciences on Campus including:
- Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention
- Center for Native American Cancer Health Equity
- Center for Health Equity Research
- College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences
- College of Health & Human Services
Naomi Lee, PhD
NAU site PI
naomi.lee@nau.edu
Jani C Ingram
NAU site Co-PI
jani.ingram@nau.edu
Krystal Charley, PhD
NAU Training Champion
STEAM Mentors
Scholars will have the opportunity to engage in formal and informal mentorship relationships with experienced mentors from the University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Northern Arizona University.
We have a list of researchers who have agreed to serve as mentors for STEAM scholars. These mentors can share insight and advice on navigating research careers, grantsmanship, leading your own research lab, managing personnel, networking, work-life balance and much more.
Peer-to-Peer Mentoring
Peer events will offer a unique time for scholars to support each other and share their experiences while discussing real life challenges.
A formal mentor/mentee relationship agreement will be established using our STEAM Individual Development Plan (IDP). This 12-month commitment will include:
- Scheduled monthly 1-hour mentor/mentee meetings;
- Attendance at mentoring workshops during the Annual Summit meeting; and
- Completion of monthly surveys on progress and STEAM events participation.
Mentors must participate in Mentoring Networking Events offered by STEAM.
In addition to the commitments in the mentor/mentee agreement, mentees will also be required to:
- Participate in an informal second mentor relationship;
- Participate in monthly webinars;
- Submit minutes of monthly formal mentor meetings; and
- Respond to communication with Training Champions.
STEAM FAQ
STEAM is open to US citizens participating in any cancer-related research at the graduate, post-doc, or junior faculty levels at the University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, or Northern Arizona University.
Scholars and mentors will agree to a formal mentoring commitment for 12 months. The commitment includes
- monthly one-hour mentoring meetings
- monthly surveys on progress
- STEAM events participation, and
- annual mentoring workshops during the Annual Summit meeting.
Because STEAM is funded by the National Institutes of Health, there is no cost to participate in the program.
The STEAM program is mostly remote. The monthly webinars are held online, and the monthly mentoring meetings may be scheduled online or in-person (as agreed in the commitment).
Annual Summits will be held in person and may require travel to one of the partner colleges or universities. Travel scholarship applications will be available for Annual Summits.
STEAM allows non-US citizens to join and participate in the program. As an NIH-funded training program, STEAM allows only US citizens and permanent residents to apply for travel funds.
The STEAM program aims to support underrepresented scholars to succeed in biomedical research fields. Our goal is to increase the number of competitive trainees and early stage investigators who apply for funding opportunities to National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD).
STEAM Scholars will have access to travel scholarships, training and funding opportunities, mentorship, annual training summits, and professional development webinars to help them achieve career success.
The Annual Summit is an in-person conference that offers the opportunity to network, meet potential mentors and educators, gain valuable opportunities for career and professional development, present your own research, and learn about the cutting-edge Cancer Health Disparities Research from the University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Northern Arizona University.
The STEAM program was developed by a team of NIH-funded research and educational experts at The University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, New Mexico), New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, New Mexico), Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine (Las Cruces, New Mexico), and Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, Arizona).
To learn more about our program, please email STEAM@salud.unm.edu.